Your Comfort Zone Will Kill You

I felt like "kill" could be a bit harsh. But in all honesty, it's true. It may not murder you in broad daylight, but it will sneak up on you at some point. Your comfort zone is created merely for comfort, like, duh. That is your zone. It's where you can feel most safe. It's the spot on the couch that you can snuggle up in after a long day at work. It's the same coffee spot you stop at every Saturday morning before the gym. It's your girls nights with loads of wine, where you cant vent and set your thoughts free. It can look a lot like self care. The difference is that, while it's comfortable it isn't helping you grow. It isn't helping you change. Some things don't need that type of attention, like the phrase "why fix what's not broken". But in reality, plenty can need some fixing, your comfort zone is just keeping you at peace with it. 

I felt this way a lot with work and relationships. I was comfortable. It was a salary. It was a boyfriend to call my own. Both were not up to my standards but it felt much better to stay in my comfort than to fear the unknown. But the universe has a funny way of tapping you on your shoulder, until you can no longer ignore it. The tap turns into a nudge, into a push, into a full blown kick down the stairs. I have found when things continuously repeat themselves like thoughts in my mind, that gut feeling, signs I feel being sent to me, even repetition within conversations, it's time for a change. 

The title is true. "Your comfort zone will kill you". It can. And it sure will if you allow it. Living in a world of comfort is well, comfortable. But it isn't exciting. It isn't new. It isn't motivating. And it is not what dreams are based off of. Your comfort zone is your starting ground. It's your home base. It can be the place you resort back to after a long day of working towards those goals. But it can't be where you spend your long day. You deserve excitement, new and motivation. You do. And while your comfort zone is warm, soft and cuddly, it isn't where goals are hit. 

So how do you get out of it? How do you escape your comforts and go for something you've never achieved? First, recognize the change you want. Is it in your job? Your relationship? Your health? Identify it first, then let's try these;

1. Start with baby steps: If it is to improve your health try cutting just 1 bad habit out or food like adding almond milk instead of whole milk to your coffee everyday, or getting to bed earlier every night. 
2. What is holding you back: For me, it was fear overall. Identifying what keeps you in your comfort zone can help you better understand yourself, and where you're currently at. 
3. Give yourself a timeline: We are more likely to attain goals when we have a deadline, so find a reasonable one that works for you and put it in your calendar, or somewhere that you'll see daily as a constant reminder. 
4. Vision board: Seeing is believing. Making a vision board can help you visualize these new goals and keep you from settling back into your zone and same mindset.
5. Mindset is everything: Once you've identified your change and proceeded to all four steps, this is the major component to pull you out of that comfort zone and into something new, different and exciting. When you can change your mindset to a positive one, knowing you deserve what you're going after becomes a lot easier. This could mean meditation, journaling, self help books, podcasts, therapy, yoga, or a combination of all. Whatever works best for you, is what is best for, you.